Overview of Transition 6

This transition attempts to prove that John H. Pyle became John J. Poill when he fled to San Francisco after committing murder in 1870. Once in San Francisco, he befriended Thomas and Catherine Eaton who lived there and together the three migrated to Oregon in about 1871.

Importance of Transition 4

This transition is the critical point when John H. Pyle changed his identity to John J. Poill. This transition also presents a reasonable hypothesis of how John J. Poill ended up in the tiny village of Cloverdale in Lane CO, OR in 1872 where he met my Great-grandmother Mila Ann Eaton and married her (thus committing bigamy). This transition is compatible with the story John J. Poill told in the 1924 newspaper article (see ref) of traveling to San Francisco to be treated by a “Dr. Toland” for powder burns on his face.

Summary

When John H. Pyle committed murder in 1870 he fled from his home in Tulare Co, CA. I think he fled to San Francisco. Once in San Francisco, he changed his name to John J. Poill. While in San Francisco, he was, in fact, treated by Dr Toland. During this time, he met Thomas Eaton who was a laborer living in the same neighborhood of San Francisco in which John J. Poill was living. Thomas Eaton’s wife’s name was Catherine. Then together, the three left San Francisco in about 1871 and migrated up to Lane Co, OR were Thomas Eaton’s brothers and mother lived.

Proof of Transition 6

1. San Francisco, CA

Proposed:

John J. Poill was in San Francisco sometime in his past.

Proof:

In the 1928 newspaper article, John J. Poill states that he went to San Francisco to be treated for powder burns on his face. He states that “we raised $575 for me to go to San Francisco and have my eye treated. Dr. Toland treated my eye, but he couldn't save the sight of it. He blistered my face, took the skin off and poulticed it so he got most of the powder grains out except for the ones on my eyelid and just under my eye. I ate at the What Cheer house in San Francisco. He treated me for seven weeks, and his bill was $575.”

There was a “Dr. Toland” in San Francisco beginning in 1852 and the “What Cheer House” is an actual men’s hotel which was started in 1854 (see San Francisco Locus for details). Thus, John J. Poill had knowledge of obscure San Francisco people and places proving that he had been there sometime in his life.

Proposed:

Thomas and Catherine Eaton lived in San Francisco CA in 1870.

Proof:

This is easily proven (see San Francisco Locus) by looking at the San Francisco city directories as well as the 1870 Federal census of San Francisco

2. San Francisco to Lane Co, OR

Proposed:

Thomas and Catherine Eaton left San Francisco in 1871.

Proof:

This is easily proven (see San Francisco Locus) by looking at the San Francisco city directories in which Thomas Eaton is missing from the March 1872 edition (created in late 1871) and later editions.

Proposed:

When Thomas and Catherine Eaton left San Francisco in 1871, they migrated to Lane Co, OR.

Proof:

This is proven by looking at the Lane Co, OR Locus where we see Thomas Eaton’s mother, as well as his brothers Joseph Eaton, William Eaton and their families living in Lane Co, OR near the tiny village of Cloverdale in the 1870s Then we see Thomas and Catherine Eaton in the 1880 census living there. It would be very natural that Thomas and Catherine would migrate to the home of their people in Lane Co, Oregon when they left San Francisco in 1871 (i.e., no intermediary stops).

Proposed:

When Thomas and Catherine Eaton migrated to Lane Co, OR from San Francisco in 1871, John J. Poill migrated with them and stayed with the Joseph Eaton family (the father of Mila Ann Eaton) in Lane Co, OR for a time once he arrived.

Proof:

Unfortunately, this is the critical proposition and there is no actual proof of it. However, John J. Poill did in fact end up in Cloverdale, Lane Co, OR because he did in fact marry my Great-grandmother there on August 29, 1872. She was a 15 year old girl and she had turned 15 on August 24, 1872 (see her death certificate), four days before the marriage! This means that John J. Poill would have had to have been in the home of Joseph Eaton or at least very close to it to have sufficient “social contact” with the child Mila Ann Eaton to actually marry her. One can imagine that when Thomas Eaton, Catherine Eaton, and John J. Poill first arrived in Lane Co, OR, they stayed at the home of Joseph Eaton or John J. Poill stayed in one of the out-buildings of the Joseph Eaton farm. At any rate, he was close to Mila Ann! Real close!

Conclusion:

· John J. Poill had been in San Francisco prior to 1872.

· Thomas and Catherine Eaton lived in San Francisco and migrated to Cloverdale, OR in 1871

· John J. Poill lived in Cloverdale, OR in 1872 when he married Mila Ann Eaton..